Controlling means for pneumatic motors



June 17, 1924. 1,498,233

T. F. CHEEK CONTROLLING MEANS FOR PNEUMATIC MO'I'QRS Filed May 7, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 17, 1924; 1498233 T. F. CHEEK CONTROLLING MEANS FOR PNEUMATIC MOTORS Filed May '7, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet. 2

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T. F. CHEEK CONTROLLING MEANS FOR PNEUMATIC MOTORS Filed May 7, 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet. 3

a1 wllmu/ j nI-IL\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\ E [I mm] i l Patented June 17, 1924.

UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TOLBERT F. CHEEK, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO WELTE-MIGNON CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

CONTROLLING MEANS FOR PNEUMATIC MOTORS.

Application filed May 7,

To all whom it may con-06m.-

Be it known that I, ToLBnnr F. GHEEK, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of Bronx and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controlling cans for Pneumatic Motors, of -wl1ich the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to record controlled musical instruments comprising a pneumatic motor to unroll and reroll the perforated note sheet constituting the record. And it more especially relates to an improved means for controlling the pneumatic forces which operate the motor, or 'cause it to operate, substantially as hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

One important purpose of the invention is to provide an improved means for governing or regulating the speed of the motor. Another important purpose of the invention is to combine in a single structure of practicable and simple nature a means which will operate (1) to govern or regulate the speed of the motor in the playing operation, to control the motor in the re-rolling operation, and (3) will instantaneously stop the motor when the record has been re-rolled. More particularly, an important purpose of the invention is to provide a means for controlling the recordfeeding motor of a record-controlled musical instrun'ient, having valves for controlling the speed of the motor during both playing and re-rolling movements of the record and for stopping the motor at the end of the re-rolling operation, wherein the parts are organized with special view to accessiblity, as well as to efficiency in operation and simplicity of construction.

These purposes of the invention are secured in the construction illustrated by the accompanying drawings which exemplify a preferred embodiment of the invention, and wherein Fig. l is a representation in front elevation somewhat diagrammatic, of a preferred embodiment of the invention.

F 2 is detail view, paiticularly intended to show the means connecting the hell crank 29 and the pinion shaft 25.

Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of one memr of the motor control means with the alves thereof omitted.

1921. x Serial No. 467,650.

Fig. t is a plan view of the motor control means with the top broken away.

5 is a. vertical transverse section on line 5 5 of Fig. 6.

Fig. 6 is a vertical section on line 66 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section on line 77 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal section on line 88 of Fig. 4.

The motor A, a part of which is shown in Fig. 1., the transmission mechanism, desig nated as a. whole by the letter B, and the tracker bar C may be of the ordinary, or any suitable construction. The take up spool D similarly may be of any suitable construction and may be arranged on whichever side of the tracker bar the constructor prefers. It is here shown above the tracker bar, but this is immaterial. The music roll E is always on the side of the tracker bar opposite the take up spool. The particular transmission mechanism here illustrated for exemplary purposes, comprises a sprocket 15 mounted on one end of the motor crank shaft a; a sprocket 16 on a stub shaft 17 a chain 18 connecting these sprockets to each other; a gear 19 fixed on the end of the shaft 20 of the take up spool; a gear 21 loose on a stub shaft 22, and meshing with a pinion, 23 on a slidable shaft 24 which engages the end of the music roll E; a pinion 25 mounted on a shaft 25; and a member 25*, which connects the shaft 25 to the shaft 17 and is pivoted at its ends to said shafts, respectively, as shown at 25, 25. In operation, movement is transmitted through the sprockets 15 and 16 and chain 18 from the crank shaft a to the shaft 17, and thence through the member 25 and shaft 25 to the pinion 25. This pinion is movable from its neutral position shown in Fig. 1 into engagement with gear 19 or with gear 21. When the pinion is in, mesh with gear 19 power is applied to the take up spool, in a clockwise direction, viewed from the right hand side, and the music roll E runs free. Accordingly, the perforated note sheet or record is wound from the music roll onto the take up spool. But when said pinion is in mesh with the gear 21. the power is applied to the music roll shaft 24- in the reverse direction through said gear 21 and the pinion The pinion may be shifted under control of the record, by means well known in the art and for that reason not herein illustrated. It is also customary to provide means for shifting it manually and a means of this nature is exemplified, the one illustrated comprising a hand lever 26 connectedby a link 27 to one member of a bellcrank 28, the other member of which bell-crank is connected by a link 29 to the end of a carrier 29. This carrier is pivoted between its ends and is connected to the pinion shaft i p i It is also customary in record controlled musical instruments to provide pneumatic pumps for creating or inducing in thesystem the air tensions necessary for the operation of the motor, and of the striker pneumatics and also expression mechanisms, when expression mechanisms are employed. The particular construction of player action for operating the striker pneumatics, and also of the expression actions and expression mechanisms, are not material to the present invention, and, accordingly, are not herein illustrated. As a means for inducing or creating these air tensions, I have illustrated an ordinary air pump G, comprising a feeder g and a sustaining pneumatic or reservoir g. This pump is preferably driven by an electric motor.

The ,pump has communication with the motor A through a controlling means which constitutes the important part of this invention.

The controlling means comprises a body member 30 having a transversely arranged inlet channel 31 near one of its ends and an outlet channel 32 at its other end. The inlet channel 31 is connected with the motor A by a duct 33. The outlet channel is connected to the sustaining pneumatic or reservoir g by a duct 34. Mounted upon the member 30 is a member 35 within which a chamber 36 is formed. This member is formed separate from the member 30 and detachably secured thereto in an air tight manner. Any suitable means for attaching the cover member to the body member, which will permit the cover member to be readily attached and detached, may be resorted to, screws being preferred. The chamber 36 has communication with the inlet channel 31 through a port 37 formed in the member 30 and extending from the channel to said chamber.

The member 30 is also formed with an opening 38 which extends entirely through it. Through this opening 38 the chamber 36 has communication with the interior of a pneumatic 39 whose fixed board 39* is attached to the member 30. The member 30 is further formed with a channel or elongated port 40 through which the interior of the pneumatic has communication with the outlet opening 32 This channel or elongated of power by way of the duct 34.

port 40 has communication with the chamber 36 through a port 41.

A manually operable slide valve 42 mounted in the chamber36 is provided to open'the port 38 more or less. As a means for adjusting this valve, 1 have illustrated a connection thereto which comprises a manually operable tempo lever 43 whose lower end is connected by a link 44 to the lower end of a lever 45, which is pivoted between its ends, at 46, to a suitably fixed supporting member 47 and has its upper end suitably connected, at 48, to one end of the valve stem 49. The pneumatic 39 here shown is a bellows whose movable board 39 is provided with an arm' 50 which extends outwardly beyond the pivoted end of the bellows and is connected by a spring 51 with a like arm 52 attached to the fixed board 39 of the bellows. bellows there is a flexible regulating valve 53 whose opposite ends are detachably connected to the fixed and movable boards of the bellows. This valve is disposed in operative relation to the channel or elongated port .40. It is preferably of non-resilient material, leather being preferred, having its ends provided with transverse reinforcing strips 53 one of which is screwed to the fixed board 39 The other strip 53 has an eye 53 through which a transverse holding member 53 extends. This holding member is mounted in an opening 39 formed in the movable board 39 and has downwardly extending end portions with outwardly extending end 53 seated in recesses formed in the board 39 adjacent said opening. A removable panel 39 covers the recesses and, by its engagement-with the outwardly ext-ending ends of the holding member 53 secures the ends of the regulating valve 53 detachably to the movable board of the bellows and affords easy access to said valve and the interior of the bellows, this correlation of the parts, moreover, contributing to the ease with which they may be assembled.

The operation of the parts thus far described is as follows :The valve 42 is set to open the port 38 'to an extent which accords with the speed at which the motor A is to operate and which therefore corresponds with the tempo of the piece which is to be played. When the pump is in operation the normal course of the air is from the motor A through the duct 33 to the inlet channel 31, thence through the port 37 to the chamber 36,and from the chamber 36 through the port 38 to the interior of the pneumatic 39, and thence throug.1 the port Within this V 40 to the outlet channel 32 and to the source At this time the port 37 is open and the port .41 is closed.

It will be apparent that in this course of the air, the pneumatic 39 will be collapsed to a greater or less extent in accordance with the position of the valves 42 and 53 with relation to the respective ports 38 and. 40, the valve 42 serving as the primary means for determining the degree of suctional force to Which the interior of the pneumatic 39 is to be subjected and the valve 53 responding instantly to any change in that degree, which causes a change in the extent of the collapsing movement of the pneumatic, and operating to open the port 40 to a proportionately greater extent if the tension of the air in the pneumatic has been momentarily reduced, or to a lesser extent if the air tension has been momentarily increased, thereby restoring the tension to that predetermined by the position to which the valve 42 was set. It will, of course, be understood that in the operation of these mechanisms various things may tend to result in an undesired variation of the speed of the motor from that which is intended to be predetermined by the position of the tempo valve 42, among which may be noted uneven pumping, diii'erence in friction between the music sheet and tracker at differentpoints of the sheet, and the simultaneous operation of varying numbers of striking pneumatics, and it will be seen that the mechanism herein. described operates to restore the tension of the air within the motor A instantaneous 1y whenever there is a change therein brought about from any cause other than the change in the position of the tempo valve 42 with relation to the port 38. Thus, the predetermined speed is maintained sub stantially constant, automatically, by means of most simple and practicable nature, which also permit the speed to be intentionally changed at any time, by the manual operation of the tempo lever to change the position of the tempo valve 42 with relation to the port 38. Obviously, the regulating Valve 53 is operative to perform its function in any position to'which the tempo valve may be set.

The motor control mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings comprises, in addition to the governing or regulating means already described, a means operative to control the re-rolling speed of the motor and a means operative to stop the motor instantaneously when the music sheet has been re-rolled. To control the re-rolling operation, I have provided the body member with the hereinbefore described port 41, which as already stated extends from the chamber 36 to the port and hence has communication with the outlet channel 32 through said port 40. As a means for closing this port, I have illustrated a valve 55 which is pneumatically operated and closes the port 41 when the music sheet is being fed from its roll E onto the take up spool D and is opened during the re-rolling operation. lVhen the valve is open a passage from the inlet port 37 to the outlet channel 32 is provided through the chamber 36, the port 41 and port 40 in addition to the less direct passage to said outlet channel provided by the chamber 36, port 38, pneumatic 39 and port 40. This causes the motor to run at increased speed during the re-rolling operation.

As a means for pneumatically operating the valve 55, I have illustrated a bellows 56, to whose movable board 56 the valve is at tached. This bellows is provided with a control duct 57, which contains air under suction during the playing operation and at atmospheric pressure during the re-roll ing operation, any suitable means being connected to the duct to connect it with the atmosphere and with the source of power at the proper time, said means being either manually controlled or controlled automatically, as from the record or tracker, as preferred. I11 practice, it is preferred to con trol it automatically. One means by which it may be so controlled is set forth in my companion application (Case A) executed and filed of even date herewith and num bered, serially, 467,468.

As a means for automatically stopping the motor at the end of the re-rolling operation, I have provided a pneumatically operable valve 60 for closing the port 37. The valve here shown is carried by a membrane 61 one of whose surfaces is exposed to the air in the chamber 36 and the other of whose surfaces is exposed to the air in a chamber 62 which is formed in the member The chamber 62 is connected with the chamber 36 by a bleed hole 63 and with the atmosphere through a duct 64. In practice, means are provided for closing the duct 64 against the atmosphere while the motor A is to be operated and for opening it to the atmosphere when the operation of the motor A is to be stopped, the correlation of parts being such in the herein exemplified form of the invention that when the duct 64 is closed against the atmosphere the valve 60 will be held in open position so that the inlet opening 31 will be in free communication with the chamber 36 through the port 37 and when said duct is open to the atmosphere said valve will be forced upon its seat over the port 37 and will close the latter, thereby entirely cutting off communication of the motor A with the pump. It is preferred in practice to provide means for automatically opening the duct 64 to the atmosphere, a suitable means for this purpose, operated under control of the record, being set forth in my application No. 467,648 hereinbefore referred to. In said application, I have also indicated a means for driving the pump electrically, including a switch which is opened under control of the record for breaking the circuit to the member which drives the pump, and further have set forth a construction wherein the means which opens the switch acts also to open a valve which controls communication of the duct 64 with the atmosphere, and it willbe understood that in practice I prefer this combination of parts although I do not herein confine mv invention' thereto. I

Particular attention is called to the fact that when the cover member 35 is removed all of the valves except the regulating valve are fully exposed, and that when the panel 39 is removed the regulating valve is fully exposed, and generally that the parts are so organized as to form a control means of most simple and practical construction and one wherein accessibility of parts is one of the leading features. I

It will be understood that while I have illustrated and described the mechanism as arranged for use in a system operating on the suction principle, it would not be a departure from the spirit of the invention to embody it in a system operating on the compression principle. The changes necessary to adapt the mechanism for operation when air having a pressuregreater than the atmosphere is to be used in lieu of air having a pressure less than atmospheric, are Well understood by those skilled in the art and need not be illustrated herein.

Having thus described the invention what I believe to be new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a means for controlling the speed of the record-feeding motor of a record controlled musical instrument, a body having an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening, a valve between said openings, a bellows interposed in the pneumatic path from the valve to the outlet opening, a flexible regulating valve having its ends connected to the fixed and movable walls of the bellows, the movable wall having an opening adjacent one end of the valve, and a removable "panel to cover said opening and to expose the end of the valve when the panel is removed.

2. In a means for controlling the speed of the record-feeding motor of a record con trolled musical instrument, a body having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, a valve between said openings, a bellows interposed in the pneumatic path from the valve to the outlet opening, a flexible regulating valve between the bellows and the outlet opening, and having one of its endsattached to the fixed wall of the bellows, said bellows having an opening in its movable wall and provided with recesses adjacent the opening, and said valve having its end adjacent the opening provided with a holding member having outwardly extending ends seated in said recesses, said movable wall also having a removable panel which covers. said opening and holds the ends of-the-holding member in the recesses and, when'removed, affords access to the valve and'interior' of the bellows.

3. In a means for controlling the recordfeeding motor of a'record controlled musical instrun'ient, a body member having-an air inlet opening and an air outletopening, a cover member detachably connected to the body member, said members relatively formed to provide a chamber between their confronting surfaces, a pneumatic connected to said body member and provided with a regulating valve, the body member hav ing ports through whichthe chamber has comn'iunication with the air inlet opening and with the pneumatic, respectively, and also having a port which is variably controlled by the regulating valve and through which the pneumatic has communication with the air outlet opening, a valve:-mounted within the chamber, tO-variably control connnunication of the chamber withhthe pneumatic and a pneumatically operable valve also mounted in the chamber to completely cut off communication between the inlet and outlet openings, both of said valves being exposed when the cover member is re; moved. I v v 4a In a means for controlling the record feeding motor of a record controlled musical instrument, a member having an inlet and an outlet and including detachably connected complementary parts relatively formed to provide a chamber arranged between their confronting surfaces, the memher also having means through which the chamber has communication with the inlet and outlet and means to control such communicaton and thereby control the speed, together with a means to cut oif such communication entirely, the latter :means including a valve and a pneumatic for operating the valve, both carried by one of said complementary parts, the pneumatic having communication with said chamber and with another source of air supply to operate it to-open the valve and keep it open while the motor is operating and to close it'when the operation of the motor is to cease,

5. In a means for controlling the recordfeeding motor of a record controlled musical instrument, a member having an inlet and an outlet and provided with a detachable cover, said member and'its cover relatively formed to provide a chamber'between their confronting surfaces and the member having means through which the; chamber has communication with the inlet and outlet to control the speed of the-motor, and said cover having a valve to entirely cut off communication between the inlet and outlet and also having a pneumatic which operates the valve and means through which the pneumatic has communication with the chamber and with the outside air for the purpose specified.

6. In a means for controlling the record feeding motor of a record controlled musical instrument, a member having an inlet and an outlet and provided with a detachable cover, said member and its cover relatively formed to provide a chamber between their confronting surfaces and the member having means through which the chamber has communication with the inlet and outlet to control the speed of the motor, and said cover having a valve to entirely out ofi communication between the inlet and outlet,

and also having a chamber provided with oienings through which it may have communication with the first mentioned chamber or with the atmosphere, at will, and a membrane operatively related to said chamber and connected to said valve to operate the latter.

7. In a means for controlling the recordfeeding motor of a record controlled musical instrument, a body member having an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening, a cover member detachably connected to the body member, said members relatively formed to provide a chamber between their confronting surfaces, a pneumatic connected to said body member and provided with a regulating valve, the body member having ports through which the chamber has communication with the air inlet openingand with the pneumatic, respectively, a valve mounted in said chamber to variably control communication of the chamber with the pneumatic, said body member also having a port which is variably controlled by the regulating valve and through which the pneumatic has communication with the air outlet opening, and said cover member having a chamber provided with an air opening, a membrane separating said chamber from the chamber first mentioned, and a valve connected to the membrane and operatively related to the port through which the first mentioned chamber has communication with the air inlet opening, to open said port forthe playing operation and to close it at the end of the re-rolling operation.

8. In a means for controlling the recordfeeding motor of a record controlled musical instrument, a body member provided with a separately formed cover member detachably secured thereto, said members relatively formed to provide a chamber between their confronting surfaces, one of said members having an air inlet with a port open to said chamber, a governor pneumatic mounted on the side of the body member opposite to said chamber and having communication with the latter through a channel extending to said chamber through the body membox, a tempo valve in said chamber to regulate the latter channel, the body member also having an outlet and being formed with a port opening into the governor pneumatic and with a separate port opening into said chamber, a regulating valve operated. by the governor and operatively related to one otsaid ports, a reroll valve mounted in said chamber to open and close the port from the outlet to said chamber, and a pneumatic to operate the reroll valve having means through which the tension of the air in its interior is controlled to collapse it and hold the valve closed during the playing operation and to expand it and open the valve for the rerolling operation.

9. In a means "for controlling the recordteeding motor of a record controlled musical instrument, a body member provided with a separately formed cover member detachably secured thereto, said members relatively formed to provide a chamber between their confronting surfaces, one of said members having an air inlet with a port open to said chamber, a governor pneumatic mounted on the side of the body member opposite to said chamber and having communication with the latter through a channel extending to said chamber through the body member, a tempo valve in said chamber to regulate the latter channel, the body member also having an outlet and being formed with a port open ing into the governor pneumatic and with a separate port opening into said chamber, a regulating valve operated by the governor and operatively related to one of said ports, a rer ll valve mounted in said chamber to open and close the port from the outlet to said chamber, and a pneumatic to operate the reroll valve having means through which its interior is under suction during the playing operation to close the valve and is opened to the atmosphere at the end of the playing operation to open it for the rerolling operation.

10. In a means for controlling the recordfeeding motor of a record-controlled musical instrument, a body member having an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening, a cover member detachably connected to the body member, said members relatively formed to provide between their confronting surfaces a chamber which is fully eX posed when the cover member is removed, a pneumatic connected to the body member and provided with a regulating valve, the body member having ports through which the chamber has communication with the air outlet opening and with the pneumatic respectively, and also having a port which is variably controlled by the regulating valve and through which the pneumatic has communication with the air outlet opening, a valve mounted in said chamber to variably control communication of the chamber with the pneumatic, a pneumatic also mounted in said chamber and providedwith a movable board, and a valve carried by said movable board and .operatively related to the port through Which thechamber has communication with the air outlet opening,

11. Ina means for controlling the recordfeedinganotor of a record-controlled musical instrument, a body member having an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening, a cover member detachably connected to the body member, said member relatively formed to provide between their confrontingsun faces a chamber which is fully exposed when the covermemberis removed, a pneumatic connected to the body member and provided with a regulating valve, thebodymember hay-ingports through which the chamber has communication with the air inlet opening andwiththe air outlet opening and with the pneumatic, respectively and also having-a port which is variably controlledby theregulating valve and through which the pneumatic has communication with the air outlet, opening, a valve mounted in said chamber to variably control communication of the chamber with the pneumatic, and a plurality of pneumatically operable, valves in said chamber, respectively, controlling the portthrough which the chamber has communication with the air inlet opening and the port through which the chamber has communication with the air outlet opening.

12. In a means for controlling the record feeding motor of a record controlled musical instrument, a body having an inlet opening and an outlet opening, and provided with a chamber and with a governingpneumatic; andlalsohaving a port through which the chamber has communication with the inlet opening, a port through which the chamber ha's coinmunication with the governing pneumatic, a portthrough which the governing pneumatic has communication with the air outlet opening and a port through which the chamber has communication with the air outlet opening, a regulating valve operated by the governing pneumatic to variably close the port through which said pneumatic has communication with the air outlet opening, and a plurality of valves mounted in tion between the air inlet opening and the chamber at the end of the re-rolling operation.

13. In a means for controlling the speed of the record feeding motor of a recordcontrolled musical instrument, abody member having an air inlet opening and an air outlet opening, and provided with a chamber'in communication with the inlet opening and also with a pneumatic, and having means through which the pneumatic has communication with the chamber and with the air outlet opening, aregulating valve operated by the pneumatic and variably controlling the communication between the pneumatic, and the outlet opening, a valve for controlling communication between the chamberiand the pneumatic and means for operating said valve, comprising a manually operable tempo lever, a link connected to one end thereof, a second lever, pivoted between its ends and having one end connected to the link, and a connection between the other end ot the link and the valve.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

TQLBERT F. cream; 

